Google has recently completed its March 2024 core update rollout, which began on March 5, 2024, and ended on April 19, 2024. This core update was significant as it involved changes to multiple core systems and marked the end of the standalone helpful content update. Google did not announce the completion of the rollout until April 26th, 52 days after it began.
According to a Google spokesperson, the March core update focused on reducing low quality and unoriginal content in search results. Initially, Google stated that there would be a 40% reduction in such content, but it turned out to be closer to a 45% improvement. The spokesperson mentioned that the updates led to larger quality improvements than expected.
In addition to the core update, Google made other changes during this period. They updated the help center page to provide guidance to site owners on how to debug drops in Google Search ranking. They also created a new feedback form for site ranking changes that users can submit to the Google Search team for review.
During the same time frame, Google rolled out the March 2024 spam update, which started on March 5th and concluded on March 20th. They also issued manual actions related to pure spam issues. Furthermore, Google changed its core web vitals to use INP instead of FID. These overlapping updates make it difficult to determine which specific change may have impacted a site’s performance in Google Search.
The March 2024 core update is described as more complex than previous core updates, involving changes to multiple core systems. Elizabeth Tucker, Director of Product, Search at Google, initially stated that the update would reduce unhelpful content in search results by 40%. However, Google later updated that number to 45%. The update focuses on identifying webpages that are unhelpful, provide a poor user experience, or appear to be created solely for search engines.
With this core update, Google has incorporated the helpful content system into the core update system, eliminating the need for separate announcements of helpful content updates. The classifier for the helpful content system was overhauled and integrated into the March 2024 core update.
Google has not provided specific actions to take for sites negatively impacted by the core update. They advise creating helpful content for people rather than focusing on ranking in search engines. It is recommended to read Google’s “creating helpful, reliable, people-first content” help page for more guidance.
Understanding Google’s algorithm updates is crucial for brands, businesses, and organizations as they can significantly impact a site’s performance in search results. Changes in rankings resulting from core updates can affect organic traffic, conversions, and revenue. Site owners need to be aware of when these updates occur to determine whether fluctuations in traffic are due to changes on their site or updates in Google’s ranking algorithm.
In conclusion, Google’s completion of the March 2024 core update rollout brings significant improvements in reducing low quality and unoriginal content in search results. Site owners are advised to focus on creating helpful and reliable content for users rather than solely targeting search engine rankings. Keeping up with Google’s algorithm updates is essential for optimizing organic traffic and overall website performance.
